INTERVIEW: How some native doctors fuel insecurity in Anambra

In January, Governor Charles Soludo signed the Anambra State Homeland Safety Invoice 2025 into legislation, establishing the Agunechemba as a vigilante group within the state.

The legislation banned the making of charms for the fee of crime and the performing of sacrifices alongside the street within the state.

It additionally outlawed the apply of Oke-Ite and Ezenwanyi for the aim of wealth accumulation by way of supernatural means.

The legislation imposes six years imprisonment or N20 million or each on defaulters upon conviction.

The laws seeks to test rising insecurity within the South-eastern state.

On this interview with PREMIUM TIMES, the Commissioner of Data in Anambra State, Legislation Mefor, speaks about why the native docs and faux pastors have been being tracked down within the state and the way the legislation is aiding the combat towards insecurity within the state.

Excerpts:

PT: The Anambra State Homeland Safety Legislation (2025) was not too long ago assented to by Governor Charles Soludo. How has it helped within the combat towards insecurity within the state?

Legislation: The Anambra State Homeland Safety Legislation (2025) has proved to be a lifesaver. Because it was signed into drive by the Governor of Anambra State, Charles Soludo, on the 18th of January 2025, and the launch of Operation Udo Ga-Achi and Agunechemba, which additionally happened the identical day at Awka, Anambra, safety has considerably improved.

Authorities is just not but there however definitely not the place authorities was once, say, in 2024. For instance, the spate of kidnapping is sort of fully reversed, and if issues proceed this fashion, kidnapping, armed theft, and cultism in Anambra will quickly be a factor of the previous. Udo Ga-Achi and Agunechemba are constituted to combat kidnapping, armed theft, Yahoo Plus, pretend native docs and malevolent native docs, pretend pastors, drug sellers, and so forth. In lower than two months of operation, calm has returned to Anambra State. Kidnapping will quickly be eradicated within the state.

PT: We perceive that some native docs have been arrested over alleged involvement in insecurity within the state. Will they face prosecution?

Legislation: Sure, a superb variety of native docs have been taken into custody for suspected involvement in crime and criminality in Anambra State. The brand new homeland legislation criminalises Oke-Ite and its variants like Ibubo, Awale, Udu Akomili, Aro Agbaka, and so forth.

For the avoidance of doubt, these are cash potions ready by these evil native docs for individuals who need wealth with out work, which you understand is prison. There’s additionally the one they name “Odeshi,” that’s the ‘conventional bulletproof.’ The federal government has trigger to consider it is usually fraudulent as a result of a few of these native docs deceiving our folks would use clean bullets to check their work and never actual bullets, and the folks don’t know. Most of the kidnappers and killers killed or captured are discovered with the amulets and charms and but get killed, whereas the charms are speculated to be bulletproof. So how come they get killed? You possibly can see why many of those native docs are in custody present process interrogations and investigations. The federal government can’t allow them to go earlier than concluding investigations. These towards whom the federal government establishes prima facie circumstances will definitely be charged in court docket, whereas these with out substantial circumstances towards them might be let loose. Definitely, the native docs may have their days in court docket as prescribed by the legislation.

PT: What number of native docs have been arrested to this point?

Legislation: I can’t say exactly what number of native docs are in custody as a result of the quantity retains growing. However they might be over 30 already, and the quantity will hold rising as a result of Agunechemba and Operation Udo Ga-Achi are searching them down and bringing them in.

However let me additionally categorically state: the federal government is just not after real conventional Igbo faith worshippers or rational medication practitioners, solely evil native docs and faux native docs who’re making Oke-Ite and different harmful charms.

The brand new safety operation can also be after pretend pastors as a result of the federal government has proof that these native docs are additionally getting ready charms for a few of these so-called pastors.

PT: How does the preparation of “Oke-Ite” by the native docs gas insecurity in Anambra and different locations?

Legislation: As I stated earlier, Oke-Ite means Ogwu ego, which is cash potion or ritual. It’s ready for a person to become profitable with out commensurate work. The federal government has trigger to consider that Oke-Ite entails human sacrifice with a full human being or elements or human blood. The federal government is, due to this fact, legitimately involved. And are available to consider it, all of us see ritual murders on a regular basis, and we all know as a result of sure important elements are taken, like non-public elements, breasts, tongues, eyes, and so forth. These are all prison actions. Other than the attainable homicide of individuals for cash rituals corresponding to Oke-Ite, there are different related crimes – drug trafficking, human trafficking, kidnapping, armed theft, and so forth. These killers and kidnappers put on charms, which give them Dutch (silly) braveness to consider they’ll kill and never be killed. A lot of them find yourself in prisons abroad as a result of the charms failed in international lands. Some are killed.

PT: What does the state authorities plan to do with the confiscated Oke-Ite allegedly ready by the native docs?

Legislation: I can’t say for positive however I consider the shrines together with their Oke-ite might be destroyed on the finish. They will’t be preserved as a result of I don’t see any helpful or optimistic objective they’ll serve.

PT: Lately, some native docs protested towards the state authorities’s implementation of the safety legislation. How is the state of affairs being managed?

Legislation: Days in the past, my brother, the commissioner for tradition, leisure, and tourism, held a gathering with over 500 native docs and Ndi Ezenwanyi on the state secretariat in Awka. There was no protest by native docs anyplace in Anambra State that I’m conscious of. The video you might be referring to didn’t occur in Anambra. The native docs the federal government had a gathering with got here from all around the state, over 500 of them. They typically welcomed the brand new legislation and the continued sanitisation train. Their solely concern was the outlawing of sacrifice within the rivers. Their argument was considerably legitimate, and I consider the federal government will meet them midway in the event that they make their case correctly.

PT: Some folks argue that the brand new safety legislation is in violation of the proper or freedom of worship of the normal faith. How do you reply to this?

Legislation: I’ve answered that query already, however for emphasis, let me repeat: the brand new legislation didn’t abolish Igbo conventional worship and couldn’t have completed both. It moderately seeks to strengthen it by ridding it of fakery and quackery and evildoers. No faith validates crime and criminality. The true Igbo conventional worshippers have declared assist for the cleaning train and are already cooperating with the federal government. No quantity of blackmail will make the Soludo authorities again down. The combat is for the restoration of the soul of Anambra from the evil coven the place the evil ones have confined it. It’s a combat the federal government can not afford to lose and with the cooperation of Ndi Anambra, victoria acerta!